What do you use to entertain your chickens in your run?

[AkTomboy]

My winter is cold and long so I have all sorts of time busters for the group.

1. Tons of different levels of roosts

2. Suet hangers ~ I can fill them with home made suet blocks, veggies, fruit, bread just about anything

3. Dog treat ball ~ (plastic pop bottle will work~ just fill and poke holes) You fill with grain, scratch or feed and they have to roll it around to get the goodies.

4. Flock blocks~ I make my flock blocks in odd shapes and hang them in odd places. This way the treats are in new shapes and the girls have to work for the treat.

5. When I add new straw I toss scratch, grain or feed in with it and then fluff the straw. They will spend hrs digging around.

6. I toss little cat toy balls that have the bells inside of them in the run once and a while to give them yet another thing to chase.

Hmmm I think thats all, I will be keeping an eye on this thread for new ideas

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I toss all kinds of veggies in the everyday. What ever is in the fridge that needs to go out.

Pumpkins and water melons that have been busted open.

Crickets or grubs. They go nuts!

Jap Beatle trap. I hung the trap so that it was over the run. Cut a hole in the bag so the beatles would fall out the bottom. Chickens just stood there waiting for them to come!!

I can't put stuff from them to climb on as some of them have already figured out how to use the morning glory vines to climb out of the run!!

 

[Luna_Chick66]

great ideas! I am just finishing up my run for my first chickens and would like them to have some interesting things to do in thier run.

I'll be watching (and thinking).

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I forgot one. Straw bales left over from a hayride. Put them in the run/garden to let them rot over winter. Flip them over once a week. Chickens go crazy for the worms and bugs that have found a home

 

[Eggie and Me]

We have lots of branches at various heights and different sizes. We also hang different veggies and fruits. They have tons of fun with grass clippings and leaves from our yard. Now at 25 wks they still love all these things. We've added a combination of alfalfa and hay that we get FREE from our local feed store. We also have a planted area in "their" yard that we grow grass in so that there are always fresh greens available. We've had so much fun, using our imagination. This has been such a wonderful experience.................. And the eggs are great too.

 

[chickerdoodle]

I have a plan for my future girls (no chicks until spring, I can't wait)!

Hang old shiny CD's for them to peck at, a swing (yes--like my parrot has) and hang various greens placed inside wire balls (used for large parrot toys) in different places. In their extra wood chip run (they'll have a Forte Knox hen house and large covered run with playground sand) I'll throw some whole oats and alfalfa hay for them to work threw.

 

[Dr.Doorlock]

If you want to see aomething similar to a football game, toss in a big worm or a marshmallow.

 

[Sc00ter4900]

Hummm I put in an old truck cap in there run. they jump and poop on it. My ladies like to go under it too. The dirt is really dry so they kick up a lot of dust. Sounds boring but its a lot of fun to watch. Scotty

 

[buck-wild-chick]

My chickens entertain themselves by seeing how much they can poo in their waterer.

 

[pixie74943]

I flooded a mouse hole today.. Anyone who ever thought Chickens were vegetarians should see them go after a mousie.

Poor mousie.. Well poetic justice, the mousie ate my chicken feed, the chicken at the mousie